Supermoon, Meteor Shower to Shine Saturday

If the sky is clear Saturday night, don't be surprised if the moon causes you to do a double take!

Saturday's celestial event is called the "Supermoon," when the moon is at perigee — it's closest approach to Earth, according to The Washington Post. The moon will be just 221,802 miles away from us and will look like it's 16 percent brighter than a typical full moon, The Washington Post reports.

So what's the best time to see this Supermoon? According to CBS 2 News here in Los Angeles, it will be above SoCal shortly before 9 p.m. The CBS report says the director of the Griffith Observatory told reporters that most of us won't be able to tell the difference between a Supermoon and a full moon.

“It is a little closer, it is a little brighter, but the eye is really not able to detect the difference,” Dr. Ed Krupp told KNX 1070.

But that shouldn't stop you. If you're watching the sky with a discerning eye, you just might catch it. And if you take a great photo, feel free to share it here on Patch!

There is one more cool thing you can check out this weekend: the Eta Aquarid meteor shower!  According to Astronomy.com, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is formed by dust particles from Halley's Comet. The Eta Aquarids will reach their peak before dawn Saturday (with the possibility of seeing up to 60 meteors an hour), though the full moon will limit seeing some meteors. Astronomy.com recommends sitting in a spot where the moon is blocked by a building or trees.

• For the full story from The Washington Post, click here.
• For the full story from CBS 2 News, click here.
• For the full story from Astronomy.com, click here.